How To Find Out The Real History Of A Used Car

Most folks who read a history report solely focus on three simple things.

How many owners?

How many accidents?

Maintenance Records

This is the absolute worst thing you can do. Ever. Why? Because it isn’t the real story of that used car.

The real story with every single used car begins at the ending – not the beginning. What has been done lately is the most critical question of all you will need to figure out.

Most owners will try to kick the bucket of future maintenance and repairs to you when they sell a used car. Sometimes it’s just a pail. Other times it’s an ocean that’s worth more than the vehicle they’re selling.

Every owner, even if they love their car, has that psychological tipping point where they eventually see future expenses as the cliff of high cost instead of a healthy long-term investment in their daily driver. They want out. Love doesn’t last forever.

So if you find something you like online, don’t fall in love. Even if it seems too good to be true. The one thing I always do before I ever see a car is get a history report. These reports, whether from Carfax, Autocheck, or elsewhere, keep me from wasting time driving out to cars that are true junk, and others that look good, but have hidden issues that make them hellish to own.

So how do you find these recent red flags? Let me share a few of the most common issues that separate the potentially good cars from those worth more dead than alive. It’s time for you to find what I have come to call the ‘Hot Potatoes’. Those cars that will burn you once you unwrap them. So call the owner. Ask for the VIN, and thank them.